Neil sarcastically said: "We pride ourselves on being of a religious bent here on This Week and we're often derided for it by the secularist metrosexuals that dominate the upper echelons of the BBC.

"But not anymore. Not after our hashtag #prayfordiane campaign resulted in Madame Mao rising Lazarus-like from her death bed to rude health once more."

He added she had bounced back to be the "shining beacon of political wisdom and integrity that we know and love" and cheekily referred to her reported encounter with Brexit Secretary David Davis in a Commons bar.

Diane Abbott's most controversial quotes

Fri, April 7, 2017

Outspoken Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott holds strong opinions which does not always go down well.

Neil went on: "Yes our prayers were answered. So rejoice! rejoice! together we made it happen #prayfordiane amen."

The segment resulted in mixed reaction from viewers.

Mitch Blood tweeted: "On-air bullying of Diane, to complement the rancid online abuse she already suffers. You should be ashamed."

But, another was less sympathetic and jokingly said: "How is Diane? I do hope @HackneyAbbott is better? Poor poor thing. ;-) #prayfordiane"

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington had faced calls to resign her position last week after Mr Corbyn enforced a three-line whip calling on MPs to back the Government’s plans to push forward with Brexit.

Ms Abbott is one of the most pro-EU members of the Labour Party and it was widely suggested she had deliberately avoided the vote.